Discover the Rhône Valley through its wines in this seminar led by expert Sheilah McGovern of Vineyard Brands. In this 90-minute, classroom-style comparative tasting, you'll learn about the vast differences in the Rhône valley from North to South by tasting wines from two of the most well-known and highly regarded families, Jaboulet and Perrin. 

The North — The Syrah vine reaches up out of the granitic-clay hillsides formed 300 million years ago. Several of the appellations are very steep, very small, highly sought after and require years of patience to achieve maturity. This is where the great chefs of France are from and where butter is king.

The South — This is the land of olive oil, lavender, Provence and the sea. Here, many varieties of grapes are used in blended wines and the generous Grenache grape rules. In the south life is slower paced and the mistral wind controls the climate up to 115 days per year.

About Sheilah — Sheilah McGovern is a resident of York, ME. She studied oenology and viticulture in Reims, Bordeaux and Beaune and completed an internship with Joseph Phelps in Napa Valley. She grew up at The Hermitage Inn in Wilmington, Vermont where she and her father created one of the first, Grand Award Winning Wine Lists from the Wine Spectator with over 2,000 selections and a 40,000 bottle cellar. She has worked for Vineyard Brands, importers of fine wines from family estates and innovative wineries around the world for over 30 years. She travels to many countries tasting wine and foods and learning about the culture, economics, growing conditions and wine techniques of each unique place as well as developing lasting relationships with passionate families from different regions.